The invention relates to the technology of heat exchangers, in particular for motor vehicles.
Numerous methods for manufacturing heat exchangers for motor vehicles are known, regardless of whether it involves radiators for engine cooling systems or evaporators and condensers of air conditioning systems for the passenger space of the vehicle.
These heat exchangers comprise a serpentine circuit, which in certain cases may be formed from stacked, flat, individual boxes, through each of which the cooling fluid or the refrigerant flows in one direction then in the other, in a U-shaped path. Locally, usually at the upper part at the two ends of the branches of the U, the boxes are shaped so as to define two separated chambers, one for the inlet and the other for the outlet of the fluid. The inlet chambers of the various boxes communicate with one another, as do the outlet chambers
The exchanger is connected to the remainder of the circuit for the admission and for the extraction of the fluid via parts called “supply inserts”, which each replace a box at the site of the chambers. By choosing an appropriate shape for the part, the insert may communicate with the chamber immediately adjacent to the inlet or outlet orifice, or with the chamber the furthest therefrom, depending on whether it is wished to provide a fluid inlet insert or a fluid outlet insert.
To produce such inserts, units comprising at least three parts are generally used, the main ones of which are different according to whether it is wished to provide an inlet insert or an outlet insert (a more detailed explanation will be given on the manner in which the present inserts are produced with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, which will be described further on).